Lleva dos el Tango
by razzamatazz73
Summary: It takes two to tango. And one sister to ruin it. ButtercupElmer romance DISCONTINUED.
1. a cappella

Author's Notes: My first (and most likely only) PPG fic… I saw an old episode on TV today, and I felt like writing… I probably should work on my other fics, but hey, I feel like writing something angsty.

I saw Rent a few weeks ago, and the whole Tango: Maureen scene was my favorite. And, then I saw Moulin Rouge, and I have Roxanne stuck in my head… so, I'm in a tango mood…

This is a two or three part fic, but it might be a while before I get the rest up… like, summer break or something. So, put it on story alert if you like it so far…

Buttercup pulled her knees closer to her chest. She sighed. This was not at all how she intended to spend her day.

"Okay," Blossom said again, "how do you say, 'hello' in Spanish?"

Buttercup rolled her eyes. She knew Spanish inside and out, thanks to Blossom and her paranoia.

Blossom could speak Japanese fluently, but she struggled with Spanish. Buttercup, on the other hand, was the best in the class. And Blossom, straight-A student in every other class, couldn't stand anyone being better at her at anything. Except maybe Art, which Bubbles was a genius at. So, Buttercup had to be terrible at Spanish, and Blossom was the best. At least, that's how it looked in class. Buttercup was silent, as usual, and never answered a question. She hid her grades, so that she didn't have to break up the tradition. Blossom assumed that Buttercup needed tutoring in Spanish because she wouldn't speak about her grades, when actually she needed tutoring.

Bubbles was too busy doodling to pay much attention, but that's how she learned. She always had to be doing something with her hands, or she couldn't function- at least, that was her excuse. The professor didn't care as long as she brought home passing grades, which she almost always did.

Buttercup got decent grades too, but she wasn't outstanding at anything, like Art or Chemistry. That was how it appeared. She was silent at all times. It was easy to blend in; black hair and shockingly pale skin made her fade into the background. She didn't go outside much like her sisters, and felt safe in her world of solitude. Her short hair was usually frizzy, and would have gracefully curled if she had cared enough to blow dry it every morning, which she never did.

They each had their own room; they had moved to a larger house when the professor married Miss Keane, their kindergarten teacher. Each room was identical with satin bedspreads and paisley sheets. Buttercup's was completely green, Blossom's pink, and Bubbles's blue, as was expected.

Everything was expected of them. They were expected to have matching everything in different colors. They were expected to save the day. And they were expected to be the same as they were as five-year-olds.

Now, at age sixteen, Buttercup wanted it all to change. She hated her name, she hated that Blossom was expected to be smarter then everyone else, and she hated the stupid uniform that Blossom expected them to wear. The same one they had to wear as children- their colored dresses, white tights, maryjanes. The same old thing; it was routine. She hated the fact that everyone expected her to be a tomboy, and she hated that everyone thought she was mean and nasty. She wasn't- at least, not anymore.

"Buttercup?" Blossom asked. "Hello? I asked you a question! I guess we'll come back to it, since you obviously don't know it."

Buttercup snapped in that instant. "Hola, monstruo!"

She stormed out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Blossom shrieked. "I'm supposed to be tutoring you so you'll be up to speed in Spanish! By the way, what did you call me?"

Buttercup walked back into the room for a moment. "I said 'Hello, monster'. Why are you trying to tutor me?"

Blossom rolled her eyes. "Because you need help in Spanish, silly! You're so immature, calling names all the time."

Buttercup sighed. "Have you looked at the difference between my grade and your grade on the last Spanish test?"

Blossom shook her head. "You've never shown me what you've gotten in Spanish, and I just assumed that since I'm not doing well, you must be doing worse!"

"Let me show you."

She went to her room and unzipped her-yes, green again- backpack, which was from LL Bean. Blossom had insisted that they each had a monogrammed backpack in their colors. And because it was expected of her, Buttercup said nothing, even though she hated the neon shade that Blossom picked. She wore darker greens these days…

She got her Spanish binder and walked back to Blossom's room and took out the last test.

"Okay, Miss Smarty-pants, let me see yours."

Blossom, who was shaking, handed her the stapled test.

"D-_. Not up to your usual standard_," Buttercup read out loud. She smirked.

"W-well, if you're so much better, let me see what you got!"

Confident for the first time in a while, Buttercup gave her the test.

Blossom's jaw dropped. "A+. _Excellent job; Keep up the good work_. How did you… You cheated, didn't you! Off of Elmer Sglue's test! I knew that something would happen when she switched your desk with Mitch's!"

"Nope. Look at the test from before that."

"Another A Plus? How the heck are you doing this! Seniorita Riviera is the strictest, most unclear teacher in the whole entire school! I can't even read her handwriting on the board!"

She grabbed the binder and looked at Buttercup's notes, written in neat, flowing cursive. Her excuse for her sloppy handwriting was that 'smart people don't have time to be neat'. The truth was, she never payed attention during handwriting lessons, passing notes, because it wasn't graded at the time. Buttercup, on the other hand, actually payed attention, seeing as her only friend, Elmer, was in the other class, and she had no one to pass notes to.

"You have everything she's written on the board since the beginning of the semester!"

Buttercup nodded, and Blossom burst into tears. Buttercup immediately felt guilty, and decided that this would be a good time to leave.

As she walked down the hall, which had Bubbles's paintings all along it, she bumped into her other sister.

"Oops," Bubbles giggled. "Sorry. Hey, why's Blossom crying?"

"I have an A+ in Spanish, and she's got a D-. I screwed everything up."

She ran to her room, closed the door, and flopped on her bed.

---

Dinner was very odd that night at the Utonium house. Buttercup was avoiding Blossom's glare, and Bubbles was doodling on a napkin under the table, so no one could see. She was ignoring the professor's "no drawing at meals" rule, but, then again, she did it every night without being caught. Buttercup could see, because she was right next to her, but she wouldn't tell anyone. She just didn't care enough.

"Well, you're all quiet today," the new Mrs. Utonium stated.

Bubbles decided to speak up. "Buttercup is totally acing Spanish and Blossom's mad because she really sucks at it," she piped up.

"_Bubbles!_" Blossom hissed. "I know she must have cheated- there's no way that she could get grades like that with our teacher."

Buttercup pushed her chair out as she stood up. "That's it! I'm sorry that I screwed up the whole 'Blossom has to be the smartest' thing! I didn't cheat- I actually wrote notes and payed attention. What a shocker."

She went to her room and slammed the door.

The professor, after paying a particularly expensive phone bill, had insisted that each girl had her own phone line and was to pay for it herself. Blossom had to get a part-time job to pay for it, but Bubbles just sold some of her paintings at the mall. Buttercup didn't need to pay much, considering that the only person who ever called was Elmer.

She sighed, and began to dial the number. She waited for someone to answer.

"Hi, this is Buttercup. Can I please talk to Elmer?" she inquired, assuming that one of his parents or his younger sister would answer.

"Yes, you _may_, little girl," said Elmer in a high-pitched voice (which sounded remarkably like Bubbles's). "I'll go get him."

Buttercup laughed. "Hey, Elmer."

"Hey yourself. What's up?"

"Blossom's having a cow because I'm doing better in Spanish then she is."

"Yeah, you're the best in the class."

Elmer sat in front of her in Spanish, and could easily turn around and see her grades.

"Ha."

"Let me guess, you're one point ahead of her? Man, I'll never understand-"

"Elmer," Buttercup cut in, "she's got a D-."

"_Oh my freaking God_."

"Uh-huh. Yeah. So, now she won't speak to me, because I disrupted her way of life."

"She _said _that?"

"Well… uh, no, but it's true. It's common sense- Blossom's the smartest, Bubbles is the artist, and I'm…"

"Only the best friend ever. Listen, Buttercup, don't listen to what that control freak says. She's just trying to make sure that she's the best."

"No duh, Elm. I want to get out of here… AHH! She's so frustrating!" Buttercup exclaimed. "And I'm sick of the stupid outfits she makes us wear everyday! I'm just sick of her controlling my life."

"Tell you what- I'll pick you up and we'll go to the mall. You still have birthday money left, right?"

"Yeah… I never did spend it, except when we went to the movies last weekend. I only spent seven bucks though, and the professor gave us a hundred each. I also have money saved from Christmas and my birthday last year, so I think I have two hundred and fifty bucks."

"Sweet. Okay, I'll be there in five minutes."

"'Kay. See you then."

Leave it to Elmer to cheer her up.

---

Five minutes later, she was sitting in the passenger seat of Elmer's beat-up Corsica, which he got for fifty dollars from a guy who collected cars and went bankrupt.

She left a note on the kitchen table.

_I went to the mall with Elmer. I'll be back before ten._

_-Buttercup_

They had fun clothes shopping, Elmer giving his input every now and then.

By the end of the night, Buttercup had two new pairs of jeans (courtesy of the sales rack at Old Navy), four new tops from various stores, a corduroy jacket, and two new skirts (both prairie style- Buttercup wasn't very fond of her legs showing). They also picked up a black JanSport backpack that was on sale, a pair of black high tops, and a pair of black slip-ons.

Before they left, Buttercup went to the bathroom and changed into one of her outfits- the high tops, a pair of jeans, a dark green sequined top, and the corduroy jacket. She exited with her old clothing in a shopping bag.

Elmer whistled as she stepped out of the bathroom. She laughed and they walked back to the car.

She waved as he dropped her off at home. She got out her key from her purse, and walked in.

Her new mother was sitting in the living room, watching a soap opera taped on the TiVo.

"Oh my God, Buttercup, what did you do?"

Buttercup grinned. "I changed my style a bit."

"I'll sure say you did!"

"Does that mean you don't like it?"

"No- I love it! I'm just a little shocked."

"I can't wait to see the look on Blossom's face…"

She went up to her room, got changed into her pajamas, and put away all of her new clothes.

Buttercup gazed at the bag the held her old dress, shoes, and tights. She suddenly had an idea. Grabbing the scissors, she executed her plan.

---

Blossom screamed when she woke up. Hanging on her door was Buttercup's dress, ripped. Her shoes were ripped and worn. Her tights were shredded.

"OH MY GOD!"

Bubbles ran into her sister's room. "What the heck are you screaming about?"

"Look!" she replied, pointing at the mess.

Bubbles laughed. "Well, that's symbolic of-"

"I don't care about your art and what's symbolic! I just want to know if Buttercup's alive!"

Bubbles glared as they heard laughing from down the hall. Buttercup entered the room. Bubbles raised her eyebrows and Blossom's jaws dropped, as they saw what she was wearing.

She was wearing a black t-shirt with green rhinestones, a pair of jeans, and her high tops. Her hair had been blow-dried, and fell down in graceful curls.

"How do I look?" Buttercup said, green eyes shining.

"Amazing! You look wonderful!" Bubbles said, giving her sister a hug.

"So that's what you were doing last night at the mall. Making sure that you didn't look like us anymore," Blossom spat.

Buttercup pulled away from Bubbles. "Blossom, you don't understand. I-"

"_I understand perfectly well, Buttercup_! You hate us! You don't want to be like us anymore!"

"Like who, Blossom," Buttercup retorted. "Like you? You are a hypocrite. One moment you want us all to be perfect like you, and the moment we're better-"

Blossom tried to slap Buttercup in the face, but Bubbles stepped in front of her and took the blow. Her cheek was red.

"That's enough, Blossom," she sobbed. "I admire Buttercup for what she's done. She's had the courage to do something we should have done a long time ago."

They sat down at breakfast. The professor was about to ask why Bubbles cheek was red, but Buttercup made a slashing motion over her neck and he didn't.

They went to school, and first period was Spanish.

"Alright, everybody. _Silencio_! That's better. Now, hand in your homework and we'll get started," Senorita Riviera belted.

As usual, class was too short for Buttercup. At the end of class, she made an announcement.

"I am going to start a Tango Club after school tomorrow. It will be held every day in the gym until four-thirty. At the end of the month, we will put on a show. The guys must wear tuxes that night, and the girls will wear specially ordered dresses. I'll give more details of that when we start practicing. The sign-up sheet is on my desk; you can sign it on your way out. Also, the sign-up sheet is where you say who'll your partner will be."

Buttercup looked at Elmer. "Want to Tango?"

He looked around to see if she was really talking to her. "Me?"

"No, my sister. Yes, you!" she teased.

"I don't know… I can't dance!"

"We'll learn! C'mon, it'll keep me away from home, and it has to do with my favorite class. Please? I can't sign up unless you do," Buttercup pleaded.

"And why not?" Elmer inquired.

"I need a partner. It takes two to tango."

"_Fine_. It's not like I have anything else to do."

They gathered up their school supplies, and then they signed up.

---

"Alright. Girls, you must wear a skirt at all times- no jeans or pants. Long skirts that won't go over your butt when you spin."

They were sitting on the bleachers in the gym. There was a decent turn out for Tango Club- about eleven couples total. Buttercup and Elmer were in the front row, listening and whispering to each other.

"Ahem… Miss Utonium, do you have something to say to the entire class?" Seniorita Riviera scolded.

"Uh… no…" Buttercup said, red rushing to her cheeks.

"That's what I thought," the teacher replied, but she winked.

Author's notes: Hate it? Love it? I don't care… either way, please review (yes, PPG and RRB people, flame me all you want!). I'm kind of sick of all the PPG-RRB fics… they bore me (sorry). They do, though… So, read and review, please!

**-Marty :-D**


	2. staccato

Author's notes: Nothing to comment on, just that all the reviewers are wonderful! Once again, it may be a while before the final chapter is posted… It might be, oh, around Thanksgiving? So, also again, if you like this story, either put it on your faves or story alert.

"Damn it…" Buttercup muttered. "Do you have any clue how freaking expensive these dresses are?"

Elmer shrugged. They were sitting in Buttercup's room, him on the wood floor and her on the green bedspread.

"No, and I don't care," he replied.

She gave him a look, and he knew she meant business. "C'mon, lighten up. I was kidding."

Her dark eyebrows relaxed, and her pale face twisted into a sweet smile, something that it wasn't used to doing. "Eighty bucks, and for the chick who gets the solo, a hundred and fifty. I spent all of by birthday money on clothing and other crap, so I'm screwed. I think I better get a part-time job or something. Oh… I can't, I have Tango Club every afternoon!"

"_Damn_…!" Elmer replied. "Save up your pennies, 'cause I think Senorita Riviera had you marked from the start."

Tango Club rocked, even Elmer admitted it. Every afternoon they met, and tangoed their hearts out. Elmer loved it when he could spin her around, so he could look deep in her green eyes and just peer into the concentration behind them. It was an odd look; she seemed to be so focused, so feeling, but quick to respond to the swiftest action or movement of his hands or feet.

She seemed to be enjoying it as well; it gave her an excuse to be away from home and something to be proud of. Buttercup was also good at it; the teacher had used her countless times to demonstrate the most advanced of steps. Elmer just hoped he could keep up, but his adequate way of memorizing what he was supposed to be doing and when seemed to help him at least keep up with his partner's flair for dancing.

Buttercup sighed. "Just think- me, a dancer! I never would have thought."

Elmer drummed his fingers on the nightstand. "I'm glad you're finally happy. But when are you going to tell everyone about the whole dancing thing?"

Buttercup still hadn't told her family where exactly she was going after school. They didn't seem suspicious quite yet, but Blossom tended to notice that type of thing.

"I don't think I'm going to. Well, Bubbles will find out, but I don't really care because she keeps her mouth shut. She's doing the design for the cover of the program… I heard her mutter something at dinner last night about using impressionism to make a full-fledged painting, then take a picture of it or something… She's going to wait until closer to the show, when we can practice in our costumes," Buttercup responded, flipping through the papers that Senorita Riviera had given them.

Elmer couldn't help notice the dresses that the girls had to wear. "I think those dresses are really… well, plain. Will you guys actually be able to dance in them?"

Buttercup laughed. "They look like plain old black strapless dresses that people wear to school dances, except that they flair out when you turn. And they are eighty bucks each, which is the main drawback."

Elmer secretly hoped to see her in the dress the girl in the solo couple got to wear. One couple would get the spotlight on them pretty much the whole night of the performance, and they would be credited as the best dancers. They would also get their own number in the show. Elmer knew that Buttercup could do it, and he could probably keep in step. Fortunately, he knew that the teacher saw that she was the best dancer. Buttercup needed the spotlight more than anything, and he intended to make it happen.

The dress was gorgeous- a vivid garnet color with a brilliant skirt that would simply flutter around the soloist when she danced. The top was in a corset fashion; crisp black ribbon in crisscrosses against the same brilliant ruby red, fastening in a thin bow in the back. The waist was well defined by a black sash. There were small black ribbons across the arm part to give the illusion of sleeves.

In other words, it was the perfect dress for Buttercup- bright enough that she would definitely be seen on stage, but not too dazzling that everyone would pay attention to the dress and not her. No, it would enhance her features- make her pretty red mouth stand out, and bring out the little bit of color that was in her pale skin.

"I think you better shoot for a hundred and fifty instead of eighty, though," Elmer replied.

Buttercup smirked. How attractive her smirk was! It had all the girlish charm of her rarely seen smile, but had a sense of her true personality.

"Why? Do you think you're that good of a dancer?" she retorted.

He laughed. "Well, I gotta go," he said, looking at his watch.

Buttercup pouted. "Fine… Be that way!" But then she winked, meaning that it was all in good fun.

"See you," Elmer said.

"Bye-bye, Tango Boy…" Buttercup replied with a smile.

He said goodbye to the Utoniums in the kitchen before revving up his car. Elmer looked back at the room with green curtains and then drove home.

When Buttercup got to her locker the next day, she saw Elmer waiting for her.

"I think all of your problems are solved," Elmer told her.

"What…?" the girl trailed off as a neon pink flyer was shoved in front of her face.

_**! CAR WASH !**_

_**Support the Townsville High's Tango Club**_

_**This Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM**_

_**Townsville Mall Parking Lot, Outside MexiFest**_

"Senorita Riviera decided that since the dresses were so expensive, we should have a fundraiser with an even split of money for whoever shows up to work," Elmer explained, leaving out the fact that he was the one who called the Spanish teacher at 10:00 PM on a school night to set up the car wash.

"Ha," Buttercup laughed as she slammed her locker door shut, "And it's right outside of the Mexican restaurant. How fitting. Well, you were right, this saves my butt."

As they walked to class, she noticed the neon flyers lining the walls, doors, bulletin boards, and lockers everywhere. "Wow, someone had fun printing those off…" she muttered.

Elmer snorted, recalling the escapade that morning of sneaking into the staff room to make copies. He set the copier to make 500 copies instead of the 50 he wanted, so the machine was out of ink. He snuck out before anyone saw him.

Buttercup put a hand in front of him to stop him from walking. "Don't ever do that again," she said, referring to the snort. "It's disgusting."

He opened the door for her to the Spanish room, and she nodded as a thank you. "And so is your sister," he replied.

Blossom was sitting on her desk, with several guys and girls surrounding her. She was wearing a pink tube top and a red and pink plaid mini skirt with red sneakers and red fishnet tights and arm warmers.

"Eww…" Buttercup whispered as she crept in, hoping that she wouldn't be noticed. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

"Hey, sis," Blossom hissed. She sat on Buttercup's desk, shoving over all the books on top of it. "Oops… I guess I better get that."

She winked at a blonde boy across the aisle, and then leaned over to pick up the books.

Elmer gasped. "Oh my frickn' god…" He leaned over to whisper to Buttercup, "Don't look, whatever you do don't look."

Blossom retrieved the books, set them back on her sister's desk, and then walked over and sat on the blonde boy's desk.

After class, Buttercup caught up with Elmer in the hallway. "What the hell happened in Spanish? You had the weirdest look on your face."

Elmer pulled her aside to the lockers. "When Blossom leaned over, it exposed… well, a bright red thong."

Buttercup burst out laughing. "What the hell is she trying to do? Trying to be the world's biggest slut?"

"Excuse me," Blossom whispered, making her way over to where the sister was. "I believe that's my locker you're blocking with your loudmouthed friend."

Buttercup stepped aside and attempted to continue her conversation, ignoring the fact that the person she was mocking was standing right beside her.

"_Excuse me!_ I'm right here, bitch!" Blossom snapped. "So say it to my face."

"Okay," Buttercup replied. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Well, if you can be an individual, so can I."

"At least I'm not dressing like a whore!"

"What are you dressing like, Buttercup?"

Buttercup was wearing a black t-shirt and a red skirt that went to her knees, as well as black low top sneakers. She was attempting to stop wearing so much green. That wasn't to say she didn't like the color; she just wanted everyone to stop thinking of her as the green Powerpuff.

"I'm dressing like… like… like me. Now excuse me, I have a class to get to."

Buttercup passed by, making sure to bump into her sister's shoulder as she walked by.

Buttercup found a catch to this whole 'car wash' thing; she needed a bikini. Now, Blossom had always picked out conservative (Buttercup laughed when she thought of the new Blossom in fishnets) one-piece bathing suits or tankinis that the three girls would wear. The last time she had gone to the lake, Buttercup had felt slightly immature.

So, she decided it was time to buy herself a bikini, so she didn't make a fool of herself in front of her fellow Tango Club members.

The problem was, she was broke. In order to redeem herself (and to have help choosing a bikini that didn't make her look like a slut or look out of place where ever she went), she went to her new mother (she and Bubbles had taken to calling her 'mom', while Blossom preferred to call her by her first name) to ask for advice and money.

"Umm… Mom?" Buttercup asked after dinner once. She and Bubbles were washing dishes at the table. Blossom had a phone call in the middle of dinner, so she wasn't 'available' to clean up from dinner.

"Yes, Buttercup?" her new mother said with a smile.

"Uh, I was wondering… I need a new bathing suit, and I was wondering if you could help me pick one out… Would that be okay?" she inquired.

"Sure, sweetie. We can go out tonight, if you want."

By the end of the night, Buttercup had a green (hey, it was still her favorite color) bikini with black rhinestones on it. It was simple, but it made her actually look sixteen.

When it was time to pay, Buttercup took out her wallet (she was trying to think of what to say when her mother saw that there wasn't any money in it), but her mom stopped her and said, "Oh, it's okay, Buttercup, I got it."

_Car wash, here I come_, she thought.

"I keep telling myself that all she wants is attention," Buttercup told Elmer as she rung the water out of a bright yellow, peanut-shaped sponge, "but I think that showing her ass off to every person in class is crossing the line just a little bit, wouldn't you agree?"

They were at the Tango Club car wash, and it was about noon. Just about half the club had showed up to work, so it meant that each person got a little bit more money toward their costume. The girls were all in bikinis, and the boys were either in shorts or swimming trunks, and some had shirts on and some didn't.

Elmer, for one, was surprised when he saw Buttercup in a bikini. She was skinny enough, but it just surprised him. He kept his mouth shut and kept on washing the red minivan.

A silver boom box was playing the CD they would be using for the show, which was two weeks away.

"Okay," Senorita Riviera, who actually looked nice in her black one-piece swim-dress with white daisies on it, "so far, we've washed sixty-five cars, and at eight dollars and fifty cents a car that is… Okay, who's good at math?"

The Tango Club laughed. They all pointed at Elmer.

"Why's it always me?" he shouted to no one in particular. "Sixty-five cars times eight dollars and fifty cents a car means that we have $552.50, and that's not counting tips."

"And," Buttercup added with a hint of happiness in her voice, "that means that since there are six couples here, that each couple gets about ninety-three bucks each."

There were cheers from the thirteen people there.

Senorita Riviera stated, "Yes, and you have whoever plastered the school with flyers to thank for that."

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn honking could be heard. Now, normally, no one would think this would be strange at a car wash. But Buttercup did.

"I know that honk…" she whispered.

Sure enough, there was Blossom, taking the professor's car to be cleaned.

"Oh, shit…" Elmer muttered.

Blossom rolled down the window to the old station wagon. "You have go to be kidding me," she spat at Buttercup. "_Tango Club?_ Gosh, you sicken me. Just wash the car and let me go…"

They did as they were told and then stood back. To their surprise, Blossom didn't move the car after she paid them.

"You know," Buttercup snapped at her sister, "there are other people in line."

Blossom smirked. "I know. Well, since this is the Tango Club Car Wash, shouldn't you be tangoing?"

"It's a fundraiser, not a performance," Elmer riposted, instantly at his friend's side.

"Tell you what. I'll give you an extra ten bucks if you do one dance. Please?" Blossom inquired, batting her eyelashes at Elmer.

Buttercup wasn't sure what came over her when she jumped in front of him and said, "Back off, bitch."

"Ooh… Someone's jealous. Well, are you going to dance or not?" Blossom replied.

Buttercup sighed. They could use the money. But only half of the Tango Club was there; they couldn't do a full number. Unless…

There was the solo dance, which only took one couple. Senorita Riviera had taught the whole Tango Club the dance two days before, and Buttercup had a feeling she could pull it off.

"Hold on," she spat hastily at her sister.

She ran over to her Spanish teacher. "Listen, I have a question," she asked, and then explained the situation.

"Yes, your sister, Blossom, the girl who spends more time passing notes and flirting in my class than paying attention. Well, if it teaches that girl a lesson, I'm fine with you demonstrating the solo dance. Just do it _right_! Although, I have faith in you," she said kindly. "I'll be watching."

_Joy_, Buttercup thought. _ I have to show Blossom that I can dance while showing Senorita Riviera the solo… _

She then pulled Elmer aside. "We have to do it… or let whore-girl mock me for the rest of eternity."

Elmer opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it. He nodded. "Fine, but you owe me big time."

"Don't I know it," she replied with a wink.

They went back over to the Utonium's station wagon. "We'll do it," Buttercup told her sister matter-of-factly.

She had one of the girls set the boom box to the right song, and then stood in front of Elmer.

The sharp, tangy music began, and so did, it felt, her heart. As she moved her feet, it seemed like her heart beat to the music, as did her mind. She turned and stepped, and leaped and dipped, looking into Elmer's blue eyes. Never mind the fact that he was in jean shorts and a faded black t-shirt, while she was in a green bikini. Never mind that they were soaked through and through with icy cold, soapy water. Never mind that they were in a parking lot in front of a Mexican restaurant.

All that mattered was then and what they were doing. She didn't look to see her sister's awed faced as she mastered the most complicated combination the teacher had introduced thus far in Tango Club. As she posed for the end, she did not hear silence like she expected.

She heard roars of applause from not just Blossom, Senorita Riviera, and the Tango Club, but also from the long line of backed up cars.

Blossom threw the ten -dollar bill at her, and then pulled away.

The entire Tango Club (several people showed up later in the day, meaning that all twenty-three people were there, including the teacher) was sitting at one long table made up of several smaller ones in the restaurant. By the end of the afternoon, they had raised over a thousand dollars.

They were laughing and talking, and Buttercup felt, for once in her life that she actually fit in.

Senorita Riviera stood up. "I would like to give a toast," she said, holding up her strawberry daiquiri, "to our soloists- Buttercup Utonium and Elmer Sglue!"

Everyone cheered, but no one expected what came next. Buttercup, who was sitting next to Elmer, leaned in to kiss him, and to her surprise he kissed back.

"Well," the teacher commented, "if you two can kiss as well as you can dance, then there's a ton of passion between you two!"

**Author's notes: Please review!**

**-Marty :-D (lucyrocks73)**


	3. cadenza

**Author's notes: Not many reviews… **

**Needless to say, I'm disappointed. Oh, well. **

**I know I said Thanksgiving-ish, but I got REALLY busy with my school play. And the lack of reviews didn't help much. **

**Anyway, read-on, and I hope this chapter-on doesn't get "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"-ish.**

**I just used "-ish" twice. Ew. That bugs me.**

Later that night, Buttercup found herself knocking at Blossom's door.

"Come in," her sister replied in a sweet voice. "Oh, it's you," she snapped, her voice instantly turning nasty. "What do _you_ want?"

Buttercup leaned against the door. "I just wanted to thank you," she said smugly.

"For what?" the redhead replied, confused.

The raven-haired teen grinned. "Well, when you made Elmer and me dance, Senorita Riviera saw and decided to give us the solo in the show."

Blossom shock her head violently, trying to comprehend that her sister was once again better than her at something. "But… but you sucked!" she replied, lying hastily in a failed attempt to cover her jealousy.

Not even flinching, Buttercup winked and walked out of the room, bumping into Bubbles.

"Oops, sorry," Buttercup whispered, sincerely apologetic.

"Buttercup: 2, Blossom: zip," Bubbles commented as she walked away.

The costumes came in a month later, two weeks before the show. The group was to pay for the costumes when they were delivered. Buttercup, who still needed fifty-something dollars, was forced to reveal her secret to someone because she needed to borrow some money. So she told Bubbles, who was due to find out anyway.

"That's fantastic!" Bubbles exclaimed when Buttercup told her. "Seriously, with your coordination, you must be fantastic at it. Sure, I'll lend you the money. I sold a few extra paintings last month- that painting of the taxi in the rain was so popular I had to make six copies of it. Well, I'll be at the dress rehearsal tomorrow to see you dance, so I'll see how you 'bust a move' then!"

It was a comfortable dress, and she knew how easy it would be to dance in it and feel as if she wasn't wearing anything. The corset and ribbon sleeves had been different to figure out, but the gossipy girls in their black dresses helped her as they whispered about the show, the costumes, and, to her dismay, the chemistry between herself and Elmer. She overheard a girl whispering about her dress and how beautiful it was. And Buttercup _knew_ it was pretty, but she wasn't used to wearing anything really pretty like that. She hadn't looked in the mirror yet; she was too afraid of what she'd see.

She _felt _pretty. And although she knew that she'd been dressing better and getting her act together, she felt uncomfortable. Blossom and Bubbles were the pretty ones. Not her. She was the tomboy, the tough one. Could tough be pretty?

Digging up some long-lost courage from somewhere, she exited the gym, where the girls were getting changed. Walking towards the girl's bathroom, she felt someone gently grab her arm. Spinning around (it felt _so_ nice to feel her skirt flair out around her), she knew who it was before she turned around. Grinning, she stood on tiptoe to kiss Elmer on the nose.

"Why, hello, there," she greeted with a wink.

Elmer stuttered, trying to figure out how to describe the feeling to her. "W-wow, y-you look-"

"Save it for the stage, Romeo."

Then she kissed him again, only to be hollered at by her Spanish teacher. "Buttercup, Elmer- what did I tell you about exhibiciones públicas del afecto?"

Elmer was confused. "_Wha-_"

"-Okay, we'll keep the PDA down," Buttercup cut in, saving her boyfriend.

"_Oh_," he mouthed, and they hurried off to practice.

"You were _beautiful_," Bubbles exclaimed in the car on the way back. "Seriously. I think you've found your niche. But when can we tell everyone?"

Buttercup pondered for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure. I guess I want them at the show… Well, Blossom already knows. Then it's just-"

Bubbles put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "They won't be disappointed. I'm sure of it."

Elmer, who had been silently driving the whole time, pulled into the mall's parking lot for Bubbles, who needed to pick up a few unsold paintings.

"Where were we again?" he inquired of his girlfriend, who was sitting in the front seat next to him.

"I think I know," she whispered, before unbuckling and kissing him.

Her plan was to make out until Bubbles came back, but about two minutes later, she was interrupted by a sharp knock on the window.

"_Buttercup Utonium!_"

"Oh, dear God!" she hissed at no one in particular.

Turning around, she faced the professor. Sighing, she opened up the door. "Umm, hi, Professor I-"

"-am grounded for the next month, young lady," he stated as he yanked her out of the Corsica by her arm.

He was furious, and she couldn't blame him. He counted on her to be the stable one; the one who wouldn't fall in love, wouldn't be anything other than tough and… a five-year-old.

And she was sick of it. She was done. She would find a way to be in that show if it killed her.

Little did she know, it would.

**Author's notes: Shorter chapter than usual, I know. One more chapter, though, I think- maybe two. Next update by September, hopefully, and if so, this story will be done by Thanksgiving, because I don't have a desire to be working on it for more than two years.**


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